Strong Fijian ‘women of colour’
I'M Pallaví and prefer to go by just that name.
Just the tone of the entertainer's response to my questions made me feel this was a confident young woman who knows what she wants out of life and where she wants to go.
It is no wonder then that the Fijiborn Pallavi is slowly making musical waves in America's growing south Asian community, especially so with her latest music video titled "Identity".
To make the project a reality Pallavi teamed up with another Fiji-born, Simran Nath, associate producer and social media marketing director.
Pallavi's family hails from Labasa. They migrated to California in the United States when she was a little girl. On the other hand, Simran's father is from Tamavua and her mum is from Samabula. She was born in Fiji and went to the US as a baby.
Identity is women-of-colour-led project that aspires to "celebrate the identities of black and brown femmes". This includes heavy South Asian and IndoFijian imagery to portray a united Fiji, one that promotes the diversity and inclusion.
The video features mid and deep skintoned
women and includes non-binary femmes, and has already gained traction and community recognition.
"As a child I've always enjoyed performing and being creative and I've turned my love into my career. I continue seeing myself creating through whatever channels I feel called towards," Pallavi reminisced.
"History, nature, people around me… so many things inspire me."
Being honest with her South Seas identity and family background Pallavi said she never fully associated herself with India. The Identity project portrays this and speaks volumes of her deep sense of belonging.
"It never felt quite right to just say I'm Indian because when I did I felt it ignored my coolie/girmit ancestors' struggles and I wanted to acknowledge those resilient people within my identity," she said.
"As well as most of my family still live in Fiji so I always questioned how I was Indian but not Fijian. So whenever asked about my identity I always acknowledge my Fijian identity."
Fragments of Fiji and the Fijian way of life have remained with her, even as she continues to score successes in her career.
"I remember the sugarcane farms, my aji making food in the kitchen, my little cousins always getting into mischief, the humidity in the air, the best coconut water I've ever had, the diversity with so many beautiful faces, and the beautiful nature that's in every corner of the country," Pallavi reminisced.
Pallavi likes to see herself as a storyteller, weaving a web of stories through music and connecting her audiences to messages close to her heart
"Professionally I make music, I direct, I tell stories."
She is humble about her Identity journey and pays tribute to people who walk beside her in that voyage.
"What was most special about Identity was all of the amazing people I came across while doing this project. So many people came together to form a community with the intention to give Fijians more representation in this world which was so beautiful to experience," she said.
"With Identity I hope to make the conversation of coolie/girmit people's easy to talk about and dissect. I feel our community in Fiji has gone through a lot after colonisation and it's time to unpack all we've been through, no matter who. We cannot heal if we do not acknowledge our traumas."
Reciprocating, Simran said collaborating with Pallavi was "exciting".
"When Pooja (Pallavi) reached out to me, I was beyond excited. Representation is such a prominent issue in mainstream American media. While the South Asian community is continuing to make great strides in media representation, the Fijian community is always lost in the narrative," Simran said.
"I was all for a project led by a 90 per cent female crew and 100 per cent people of colour. Once the project went live and we received an influx of appreciation from people of different cultural backgrounds, we realised how much bigger this project was."
Pallavi believes Fijian women must be proud of their identity.
"To young women in Fiji I'd say, love and embrace yourself proudly, love women around you and build them up as well as hold them accountable with love, and know that you are capable of so much. You are divine."
"Fiji is and will always be indigenous land. I pay respect to my iTaukei brothers and sisters who have protected IndoFijians during colonisation and have graciously accepted us into their community as their own when the world didn't have space for us."
"As an Indo-Fijian, I love Fiji and consider it my home country as well. With that love must come the understanding that Fiji is a country with intricate history, experiences, and perspectives. I truly believe Fiji can teach the rest of the world about love, tolerance, respect, and peace."
When asked whether there was anything to look out for in Identity, Simran emphasised on listening to the lyrics.
"The hook of this song (Identity) is "I'm a brown b*%ch, melanin rich, Fijian queen." However, you can substitute the "Fijian" lyric for any ethnicity: Tongan, Samoan, Mexican, etc. Having a song representation of a woman of colour is so important to young women all over the world trying to find their place in society."
Pallavi and Simran, though far from the Pacific and Fiji, hope to continue to advocate for the Fijian identity where they live in the US.
"My message to Indo-Fijian and young women in Fiji alike is we are stronger together. As a woman of colour, you have so much power in the world. Share your stories, continue to meet new people who encourage your dreams and strive to help other people reach theirs as well," Simran said.